Apparatus for making saucers and similar articles.



Bio- 836,169.

PATENTED NOV. 20, los. H. R. WYLLIE. A APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUOERS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1905.

6 SHEETSSHBET 1.

,Inven on m Wi'in 6066a c faaw No. 836,169. A A PATENTEDINOV. 20, 1906.

H. R. WYLLIE. v

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUGERS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m'fn'if/m. g6 Q? y M IQMQWWW PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906..

H. R. WYLLIE.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUGEBS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16. 1905.

6 BHEETS-SHEET 3 No. 836,169. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

H. R. WYLLIE. I

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUGERS AND SIMILAR'ARTIGLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16, 1965.

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H A fl 5 we nib E I L L Y W um H APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUGERS-AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED I0V 16. 1905.

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}mth60'666. lm/emfar No. 836,169. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

I H. R. WYLLIE. APPARATUS FOR MAKING sAUcERs AND SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION nun nov'. 16. 1905.

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Eweniofl AAAAW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. WYLL'IE, OF KITTANNING, PENNSYLVANIA. APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAUCERS AND'SVI'MIYLAR ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1905. Serial 1%. 287.689.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

To 'r-t/l whom it you, concern:

Be itknown that l, H RRY R. WYL IE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kittanning, 1n the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cer-' tain new and useful improvement in Apparatus for Making Saucers and Similar Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the present invention is to provide a complete machine designed 'to mold and form saucers, plates, and other similar articles made of plastic material and deliver the same to a carrier arranged to convey them to the dry-room or other destination in regular order.

Heretofore the work of molding andforming plastic articles of this nature has been performed by hand and with the aid of several unconnected independently-operated mechanisms. My purpose has been to pro- 'v1de a machine which shall automatically 'front elevation of my machine, the carryingbelt and framework being broken away at certain points for the p we of condensing the illustration. Fig. 2 1s a vertical crosssectional detail illustrating the arrangement of the slicer operating'u'nder the delivery end of the pug-mill. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective broken away, illustrating the end structure of the slicer. Fig. .4 is an enlarged front elevation broken away in parts, showing the connections for operating the rotating potterswheel. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the apparatus looking from the left hand in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged down upon the swingin arms carrying th roughing and finishing" lades. .Fi .'7 is a horizontal cross-section taken on .t e line 7 detail plan looking 7 of Fig. 5, the framework being omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration. Fig. 8 is a plan broken away at each end, illustrating in detail the carrying-arm designed to lift the forms carrying the molded articles from the 'belt'of the molding-machine and effecting their transfer to a similar belt travcling to the dry-room or other desired destination. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of that portion of the mechanism shown in plan of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-section taken at the lefthand of Fig. 8. I Fig. his a I diagrammatic plan showing the operation of the carrier-arm in transferring the moldforms carrying the finished articles to the dry room belt. Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional detail showing the structure whereby the potters wheel is vertically reciprocated and simultaneously rotated.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 7, .it will be seen that the main' cross-shaft A,"which is journaled in'the side of the frame' B, carries the various Worm and sprocket wheels which operate the several mechanisms. This main shaft may be driven'in any suitable manner, either through immediate connection with the power-shaft of the factory or by any other suitable and convenient method.

One of the sprocket-wheels A, fixed to and rotatable with the main shaft, serves,-

through a chain connection'A, to drive the belt-advancing mechanism 0. (Shown in detail in Figs. 8, 9, and 10.) Such advancing mechanism consists of a pair of endless chains C C, passin! over pairs of sprocket-wheels C C suitabTy journaled in the bed-frame. These chains each carry a pgojection 0, adapted to engage projections depending from the lower side of the carrying-belt D, and thereby advance the latter a'certain distance. Owing to the spacing of these projections on the belt, it is advanced intermittentl the distance bein determined so as to bring the mold-pieces carrying the material under treatment, to the proper lace at the pro or time for the operation 0 the various su mechanisms. p

Fixed to the main cross-shaft and rotated therewith is a second sprocket A, which throu h chain connection A drives a short shaft journaled in a bracket G, depending froma pugixlrllill G, located above the carrying-belt.

e short shaft F referred to,

through a bevel-gear connection, as shown n roo' ' of the pug-mill.

slicing-wire F stretched in a supportinging-belt at regular successive y from the stock in the pug-mill.

bracket F and spaced a proper distance behind the smoothing-knife. The operation of the slicer is, through the proper adjustment of gear, synchronized so that a disk of clay is dropped upon the carryoints, which are separated fromeach other y a distance equal to that of the advancement of the carrying-belt by the intermittently-o crating mechanism previously described. he carryin -belt is provided with perforations D in w ich are carried mold-pleces E, and the apparatus is so arranged that the disks of c ay fall upon these' mold-forms when sliced Each moldform has a de ending stem E, projecting through the be t and adapted to e caught and engaged by a revolving potters wheel H, located beneath the carrying-belt. Referring to Figs. 4, 7 and 12, it will be seen that the motion from the main crossshaft A to therevolving wheel H is obtained through a worm-gearing and a set of stepped pulleys H H which latter admit of any desired rate 'of rotation being transmitted. The revolving wheel H is loosel mounted in a vertical journal-box carriedhy the bedlate and is adapted to be raised and lowere( vertically therethrough by a cam 'H, secured to the main cross-shaft A and operating against an antifriction-roller H secured to a cup H at the lower end of the shaft H of therevolving wheel. Simultaneous rotation and reciprocation is permitted by reason of .a

.feather-and-groove connection existin between rotating gear H and the shaft fl", as seen inFig. 12.

The camH is of such contour andis so arranged u on the shaft A that during the intervals 0 rest of the carrying-belt the revolving wheel H is elevated until it engages the stem E of the mold-forms. E, carrying the clay disk, which by the proper arrangement of parts is during the interval of rest immediately above the said revolvin wheel. The engagement of the revolvin w eel with the mold-form lifts the latter s ightly, so as to clear the carrying-belt, and rotatesit in such manner that the clay is shaped and smoothed by a roughing-bladeK, which depends from a spider'K projecting over the belt.- While the carrying-belt is still at rest the revolving cam H continues its rotation and after an interval permits the revolving wheel H to drop in order that the roughing-blade may be the carrying-belt, which takes place at this time.

The rotation of the s ider carrying the roughing and finishing bl des is efl ected by means of a sprocket A, attached to the main cross-shaftand connected by a chain A with a sprocket K to a short shaft journaled in the bed-frame. Through a broken gearwheel K and a s stem of step-u gears K,

which are proper y journaled eit er fast or 0 loose upon the short shaft referred to and on an adjacent shaft carryin a worm K, meshing with a worm-wheel B on the vertical shaft K", to which the said spider is secured,---

a suitable and synchronous movement is transmitted from the main cross-shaft A, so

I that the respective shaping-blades are brought into position at the proper interval that is to sa when the revolvin wheel is elevated by t e cam, as described a ove.

permitting the unobstructed advancement of As the belt is advanced the mold-forms carrying the finished article pass over an elevating-platform L, which is so positioned as tov engage the lower ends of the stems E of said mold-forms and lift the latter clear of the carrying-belt, so that a transfer-carryingarm M may slip thereunder. Thetransferarm M referred to is connected by a feather and groove to a vertical shaft M, journaled in the framework of the machine, which shaft is properly rotated by means of an endless chain M passing over fixed andidle sprocketwheels M M on said shaft and fixed and idle sprocket-wheels M M on a prolongation of the shaft which drives the advancing mechanism, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 8. The rotation of the transfer-arm is so timed that it will pass beneath the mold-form and. advance with the latter duringthe motion of the carrier-belt. As the transfer-arm advances, however, itis caused to rise up-- wardly by reason of a cam M, bearing against a web M projecting from the under side of the arm, with the result that the moldpiece bearing the shaped clay is lifted clear of the carrier-belt and swung toward the dryroom belt N, which is adjacent theretoand traveling-in an opposite direction. As the transfer-arm comes over the dry-room belt it slides off of the elevating-cam M anddrops ing the operation of the machine, it being plain that the belt; may be passed under the machine and back thereover in anyconvenientmanneri It is merely necessaryto provide a retaining web or similar device for preventing, the moldforms from dropping out of-the holes in the belt. I 3 While I have. described the main crossshaft as the'operating-shaft of my mechan- 'ism, it is plain that most any one of several of the shafts in the system may be used as the power-shaft when the is entirely automatic and ca able of the most exact work, since the sproc et and chain or. gear connection used throughout insures mathematical accuracy in the timing of the various operations. At no point between the pug-mill and the dry-room belt is it necessary for an attendant to concern himself with the operation of the'apparatus' It is manifest that many modifications ofthe machine may be made in the matter of connections and design of the parts without departing from the spirit or character of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a horizontal conveyer-belt having a plurality of holes through clear of the conveyer-belt, mechanism for moving said wheel vertically, mechanism for rotating it, and mechanism for moving the conveyer-belt intermittently to bring the molds severally over said wheels.

2. The combination of a conveyer-belt, molds rotatably supported u on said belt, mechanism for movmg saidelt intermittently, a horizontal vertically-movable wheel .below said belt, mechanism for rotating said wheel, mechanism for raising it, a spider rotatable upon a vertical axis ,two shaping-tools fixed thereto, and mechanism for turning said s' ider intermittently the angular distance etween said tools at times when said horizontal wheel is down.

3. The combination of a horizontalconveyer-belt having cylindrical holes through it, molds removably supported upon said arts are of. proper strength and construct1on. It will.

e seen that the operation of the mechanism said arm rests in so swinging.

,belt and having cylindrical stems which extend through said holes, mechanism for moving said belt intermittently, mechanism for lifting the molds clear of the belt and for rotating them while the belt is stationary, a sha ing-tool which is above the rotating mo (1 and is stationary while the mold is rotating.

4. The combination of a horizontal conveyer-belt having cylindrical holes through it, molds removably sup orted upon said belt and having cylindrica stems which extend through said holes, mechanism for mov ing said belt intermittently, mechanism for liftingthe molds clear of the belt and for rotating them while the belt is stationary, a

sha ing-tool which is .above the rotating .mo (1 and is stationary While the mold is ro tating, and a transfer device which lifts the molds free of the belt and moves them over another support and deposits them thereon.

5. The combination of a horizontal conveyer-belt having cylindrical holes through it, molds removably sup orted upon said belt and having cylindrica stems which extend through said holes, mechanism for moving said belt intermittently, mechanism for lifting the molds clear of the belt and for retating them while the belt is stationary, a sha 1ng-tool which is above the rotating mo d and is stationary while the mold is ro-. tating, a device for subse uently lifting the molds above the belt, an a swinging arm capable of swinging over the belt and beneath the molds, and mechanism for slightly raising said arm and for swinging it around over another support and for then slightly lowering it.

6. The combination of a horizontal conveyer-belt having cylindrical holes through it, molds removably sup orted upon said belt and having cylindrica -stems whieh ex.- tend through said holes, mechanism for moving said belt intermittently, mechanism for lifting the molds clear of the belt, and for rotating them while the belt is stationary, a.

sha ing-tool which is above the rotating mo (1 and is stationary while the mold'is rotating, a hook-shaped arm ada ted to be swung on a vertical axis over said elt, mechanism for so swinging it, and a cam on which 7..The co bination of a veyer-belt' having cylindrical holesthrough it, molds removably supnorted upon said belt and having cylindrica stems which extend throu h said holes, mechanism for moving said be t intermittently, an inclined .plat- .form beneath the belt for liftin the molds horizontal con- 8. The combination of horizontal con-v veyer-belt having a plurality of equallyspaced cylindrical holes through it, mechanism for moving said belt at regular intervals distances equal to the distances between the centers of said holes, absorbent ren'lovablysustained molds upon said belt and having cylindrical stems which extend. through said holes, a pug-mill having its discharge-spout over and close to said belt, mechanism for slicing a disk of clay from the column thereof in said discharge-spout when. the belt is stationary with one of said molds beneath said spout, a horizontal rotating wheel beneath said belt, means for raising it whena mold is above it and the belt is stationary, a shapingtool above said belt and Wheel, and transfer mechanism which lifts the -molds from said belt and transfers them to another support.

9. In an apparatus for making saucers and the like, the combination of an intermittently-movable conveyor-belt having a plurality of holes through it, with absorbent molds which rest upon said belt and have cylindrical stems which pass through said holes and are rotatable therein, and mechanism which engages with saidstems and lifts the molds clear of the belt and then rotates them. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HARRY R. WYLLIE.

Witnesses:

CALVIN RAYBURN, i MARY MOLAUGHLIN. 

